Runt [ManxMan]

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"We searched for hours," the beta said. He made no attempt to wipe at the tears now falling freely down his cheeks, or to stop the hunter from scratching at his bare skin. "We checked every body, searched the entire territory and even past it, but no one found any sign of either of them. They're just... gone."

"They can't be gone," Chase insisted. "Why would they leave our territory? Where would they have gone?"

Mav shook his head. "They wouldn't have left. We think... they might have been... taken."

The work seemed to echo inside the hunter's head before making its way back out of his mouth. "Taken?" His breath was coming too fast, rasping in his throat. "Taken... by the rogues?"

Mav didn't respond, but his hung head said all he needed to.

"No," Chase said, pulling away from the beta. Mav let him go, but hovered next to the hunter, watching him with worried eyes as he stumbled down the hall toward the door leading outside. "No, no, no," he kept muttering as he shoved the door open.

"Chase." Mav caught the hunter's arm, but Chase shook him off, shifting to his wolf form between one step and the next.

Chase was a hunter, tracking was what he did, and he was better at it than anyone else in the pack. That meant if anyone could find them, it would be him, and he had to at least try.

"Chase, that won't work, don't you think we've already thought of that?"

He ignored the beta, jogging toward the swirl of scents he knew must have been the battlefield. Mav stayed right on his heels, but didn't try to stop him, nor did any of the other wolves they passed, though Chase saw them watching him, saw the worry in their eyes. They all knew, all of them knew.

At the edge of the training grounds he froze, staring out at the destruction. Bile rose in his throat and he gagged, stumbling to the side, but the images were burned on the inside of his eyelids, even after he turned away. The destroyed equipment, the blood soaking the ground, the bodies. He couldn't breathe, his legs were shaking so hard he tripped several times, but he pushed forward anyway, keeping his eyes on the ground so he wouldn't see the bodies piled to either side, wouldn't scrutinize them to see which of them he knew.

There were so many scents all piled one on top of the other, it was impossible to pick one out. There were traces of his brothers, but overlaid with a hundred or more other scents, he couldn't tell where they came from or where they led. He was so used to being able to trace any scent, almost like he could see a line on the ground where his target had passed, but standing on the battlefield was like standing on top of a huge pile of string tangled together so impossibly, there was no way he'd be able to tease one strand out of it.

The next thing he knew he was human again, sitting on his knees in the center of the former training grounds. He tried to ignore that the ground was damp, tried not to think about what he was kneeling in. Had someone died here? Was it possible... one of his brothers died here, in this exact spot?

Chase fought for breath. He felt like his lungs were constricting, like his windpipe was the size of a tiny straw. Someone touched him, and he tried to pull away, but the world was shifting around him and he couldn't figure out which way to go to get away, so instead he ended up falling against another form.

"Shhh, Chase. Just breathe. You're okay." It was Mav, of course it was Mav. Chase didn't fight him, but his words had no effect. The hunter still couldn't breathe, his limited air coming only in brief gasps, each one bringing another faint whiff of the chaos that occurred just hours before right where they were sitting.

"Come on," Mav tried to pull Chase upright but the hunter's legs buckled immediately, so the beta slipped one arm under his knees and curled the other under his back and picked him up easily, like he weighed nothing. Compared to Mav, he did weigh nothing. He was a sorry excuse for a beta-born, too weak to be a warrior, too afraid of violence to even see the aftermath without falling apart.

Chase felt shame curling in gut, but he still wrapped his arms around the beta's neck and rested his head against the man's shoulder. He struggled to catch his breath, but every step took them further from the overwhelming scents of blood and death, replacing them with the calming scent of the man carrying him back into the pack house.

He wasn't aware of exactly where they were going until Mav was carefully depositing him on his own bed. For a moment, he clung to the beta, unwilling to let go of the calm feeling the man brought, but finally relented and let Mav pull away. Chase's breathing had finally clamed, and his eyes drooped, exhausted after a day of worrying and the ensuing panic.

Mav pulled the blankets over the hunter, tucking him in to bed. Chase burrowed in, pushing his own pillow aside and reaching for Mason's so he could bury himself in the omega's scent. A sob caught in his throat and he curled onto his side, hugging himself. He was ten years old again, newly separated from his little brother, aware the little omega was out there somewhere but not knowing for sure if he was still alive, or how long he would stay that way. Except this time, he didn't have Dax to pull him together, to be his rock.

He was alone.

No, not alone. Mav knelt next to the bed, brushing the hunter's hair back from his face, his touch feather light against Chase's skin. He closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the gentle touch, the silent support. He knew it wouldn't last. Mav would go back to his endless string of lovers, and Chase... well, Chase would be alone.

"We're going to find them," Mav murmured. "Dax is an alpha and he's strong, he can protect himself, and he won't let anything happen to Mase, you know he won't. And that omega is certainly not helpless either. They'll be home before you know it."

Chase wished he could believe the words, he really wanted to, but Mason returning after thirteen years had already been a miracle. Both of them still being out there safe and unharmed and making it home before anything could happen to them? He didn't believe it was possible.

He sniffed, curling up tighter until he was a tiny ball under the mound of blankets. He could feel sleep pulling him under, and part of him wanted to fight it, wanted to run back outside and search for his brothers, even if it took all night, even if it took days or weeks, part of him didn't want to rest until he found them. But what good would that do? He'd already proven he wouldn't be useful out there, he'd only be exhausting himself and dragging Mav with him.

So instead he let his exhaustion take him, let the feeling of Mav's hands lull him until reality fell away. The last thing he was aware of was a gentle pressure against his temple and whispered words spoken next to his ear, but he was already too far gone to make them out. Or maybe he just dreamed them.

Date Posted: 5-25-2021

Word Count: 1987

Now sweet baby Chase needs a hug :( In the original version of this chapter I jumped right over Chase finding out his brothers were missing but I kind of wanted him to have this moment. Also that chapter just sucked and is in the garbage where it belongs now lol. I think Chase was being intentionally uncooperative because I tried to gloss over his suffering, so now here it is in all its glory, you're welcome.

<3Koda